Machine for inserting collars in metal cans



Aug. 13, 1935 A. L. KRONQU EST MACHINE FOR INSERTING COLLARS IN METAL CANS Filed June so, 1953 5 fieets-Sheet 1 .HHH

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I l l I I l I g- 1935- A. 1.. KRONQUEST MACHINE FOR INSERTING COLLARS IN METAL CANS Filed June 30, 1933 fS Sheets-Sheet 2 13, 1935- A. L. KRONQUEST 2,011,490

MACHINE FOR INSERTI NG COLLARS IN METAL CANS Filed June 50, 1933 El W g "F 6'0 4 x J ff J J J J 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1935- A. L. KRONQUEST MACHINE FOR INSERTING COLLARS IN METAL CANS Filed June 30, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Wm W Aug. 13, 1935- A. KRONQUEST MACHINE FOR INSERTING COLLARS IN METAL CANS Filed June 30, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 13, 1935 m tten MACHINE FOR INSERTING COLLARS IN v METAL CANS i l Alfred L. Kronquest, Syracuse, N. Y., ,ass'ign or 'to Continental Can C0mpany,j]lnc., N. Y., a corporation of New Xork New ork Application June 30, 1933, Seria1 No. 678,500 a 10 Claims. (01. 11341) The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a machine for inserting a collar in a metal can.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine wherein a centering ring maybe utilized for rounding up a can body and for rounding up a collar and directing said collar into said can body. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type with means operating'to first force the can body into the centering ring for rounding up the same and then forcing the collar into and through the centering ring into the can body. 1

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type having a plurality of collar inserting units which are automatically supplied with can bodies and collars to be inserted in said can bodies and wherein saidv machine is provided with means for stopping the moving parts in case of a jam.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter described. In the drawings: Y

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a machine embodying the improvements. v 1 Fig. 'la is an enlarged detail showing a portionof a clutch mechanism which is automatically released in case of a jam.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line Z-Z of Fig. l. i.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fi 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4+4 of 3 Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a can body with a collar inserted therein by theimproved collar inserting machine.

Fig. 6 shows a finished can body with the collar fully seated and with an end double seamed thereto. 1 Fig.7 is a view showing more or less diagrammatically the position of the parts when the can body and the collar first pass into the collar inserting unit. i

'Fig. 8 is a view showing the can body rounded up. by the centering device preparatory to receiving the collar. l

Fig- 9 is a view showing the collar placed in the can body to the full extent to which it is forced into the can body by the machine.

Fig. 10 shows a can bodyand inserted collar stripped from the centering ring and ready for discharge from thev machine.

It is a common expedient to provide a can body having scoring lines setting oil the tearing strip with an inserted collar which frictionallyv engages the inner wall of the can body andoverlies the tearing strip so that when said tearing strip is removed the collar will provide a smooth upper edge on the can body and give to the can body its -maximum capacity-when opened.

It has been a common practice to flange a can body and then force a collar into said flange-d canbody. There are advantages in forcing the collar into the can body before itis flanged and in the hanging of the can body simultaneously with the seating of the "collar therein. I Such a methodof seating a collar in a canbody isshown described and claimed in my prior application Serial No. 593,916, filed/February 18, 1932.

The present invention has. particularly t0 d0 with a machine for thepreliminary insertion of the collar. in the can body preparatory to submitting of the samev to a machine for the final seating of the collar and the hanging of the can body. The machine is provided with a rotating turret carrying a, plurality of collar inserting units. Means is also provided for automatically feeding a can body and a collar which is to be inserted therein to. each unit as it passes a load ing station. Each collar insertingunit includes a centering ring which performs the double function of centering and rounding upthe can body and also for centering and rounding up the col: lar for insertion therein. The can body is first caused to contact with the centeringring forrounding up and positioning the same for insertion of the collar, after which the collar is-forcedthrough the centering ring and is thus rounded up and centered and caused to enter the can body. After the collar has been properly seated in the can body, then the plunger which-seats the collar operates to strip the collar and can body from the centering ring for discharge from the machine. 1

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the improved machine consists of a. supporting base I, on which is mounted an intermediate frame sectionl, which in turncarries an upper frame structure 3. Mounted for rotation in this upper frame structure 3 is a shaft 4. Said shaft 4 is providedwith a gear wheel 5 which meshes with a-pinion Gon amain actuating shaft -'I. Said shaft 1 is driven in any suitable way'from a driving whee1'8 and'isconnected thereto manually through a clutch means 9;

The shaft t is mounted for rotation in 'a supporting bearing ill atone end of the upper frame and a supporting bearing H at the other 'end'of said frame. .Keyed to the shaft l and rotating therewith is askeleton supporting turret H which,

as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, is provided with three semi-cylindrical supporting pockets I3, I I4 and I5.

u The can body in which the collar is to be inserted is indicated more or less'diagrammatically at H! in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Saidbody is provided with a bead 2|! a short distance back from the open end thereof and theopen end which is to receive the collar, is unflanged. That is, it is of uniform inner diameter. The collar is indicated at 2|. Said collar is preferably provided with a curled outer edge 22 which makes a smooth 7 edge for the hand to contact with and which strengthens the collar and aids'in maintaining its cylindrical shape. The wall of the collar is provided with an outwardly projecting bead 23, which is so dimensioned as to make a very tight frictional contact with the inner wall of the can body. 7 c

The purpose of the present machine is to insert thecollar in the can body before the body wall is flanged and preferably. only to seat the collar partially in the'can body, as indicated in Fig. 5. In the completion of the can body the collar is forced down onto the bead 20'; the body wall is flanged and then a closing end 24 is placed on the can body and secured thereto by a double seam 25. This type 'offcan is shown, described and claimed in my co-pendin'g pplication Serial No.

593,915, filed February 18, 1932.

a The can bodies are-conveyed to the machine by a suitable conveying chute including guide rails 26-and 21, see Fig. 3; This same chute for guiding the bodies, is also used for guiding the collars 2| and a; guiding partition 28 serves to keep the can. body and collar separated, see Fig. 1. -As the shaft 4 rotates, the pockets are moved one at a time beneath the discharge end of thechute for the can bodies and the collars and saidcollars and can bodies are fed by gravityinto the pockets therefor in the rotating turret. Theturret rotates continuously and when there is a can body or collar' in place, it will operate to hold the next succeeding. collar or can body from entering the pocket. 5 The turret between the pockets isprovided with a-cylindrical face 29 on which the can 7 bodies andcollars in the chute rest between the passing of the pockets; There is' a stationary curved guide rail 3|! associated with the turret outer face of the can body and also the collar and retains the same in the pockets in the turrets until thecollar has been inserted in the can body.- "The portion of the guide rail from the point 3| to the point 32 is concentric with-the center of rotation of the turret and from the point 32 to the point 33 said rail curves away from the center of rotation of the turret so as to permit the can bodies with the collars attached to drop by gravity from the pockets. ,I The'centering ring,- as shown more clearly in Figs. 7 to 10, is provided with a central cylindrical portion 34, whichis of, substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the can body.

At one side of thiscentral portion there is a tapering portion 35, which is adapted toreceive the can body forrounding up and centering the same in alignment with the cylindrical wall 34.

The can body is dro ped into the pocket alongis mounted on a rod 38 carried by a support 39;

which is fixed to the shaft 4 and rotates therewith." This support 39 is provided witha flat face 40 for each collar inserting unit.

porting member 39 has upstanding ledges 4| and 42 between which are placed guide rails 43 and 44. 'The rod 38 slides between these guide rails. Said rod is beveled so as to underlie the beveled faces on the guide rails. The guide rail 44 may be positioned by means of adjusting screws 45. Thisrod 38 carries a roller 46 which runs in a cam race." in a stationary cam 48. The stationary cam 48 is fixed to" a threaded sleeve 49. This sleeve 49 serves as a supporting bearing for the shaft 4, and is mounted on a bearing bracket 50 carried by the upper frame. The sleeve is keyed to the bracket move endwise, it does not rotate in the. bracket. Collars 5| and 52 have a threaded engagement with the sleeve and bear against "the end faces of the bracket. This provides a means whereby the sleeve 49, together with the stationary cam and the rod 38 and the head '31 operated thereby, can be shifted to different set positions for can bodies of different lengths. c

The collar 2| is moved into the centering ring and through the same by a head 53. There is a Said supand while it can round up the collar sothat it will mounted for reciprocation in a supporting .member 55, whichis fixed to the shaft 4 and rotates V therewith; said support 55 is provided with sleeves 56,- 5t in which said plunger reciprocates. A

link 5! is attached to the plunger'andto a crank 58 carried by a shaft 59 located radially of the shaft 4 and mounted in bearings in the support 55, said shaft 59 is provided with a beveled gear 60 which meshes with a stationary beveled gear 6|, fixedly mounted in the bracket 62. The sleeve carrying the beveled gear 6| is attached to the bracket and serves as a bearing sleeve for the shaft 4. The supporting member 55 turns with the shaft 4 and this causes the beveled gears 59 to rotate, which in turn rotate the crank 58 and this through the links 5| reciprocates the plungers 54. Thercrank 'is so timed that the head 53 does not contact with the collar for movingthe same through the centering ring until after the head. 31 operated by the stationary cam 46 has contacted with the can body and moved the same to the position shown in Figf8. This insures that the can body if out of round will be brought back into cylindrical form through the action-of the tapered surface 35 contacting with the end of the can body and saidcan body will be positioned in the centering ring so that the inner surface of the can body is substantially in line with the cylindrical surface 34 of the the. cam has brought the centering ring. After can body thus into contactwith the centering 7'0 ring,;it remains inactive andholds the can body for the the balls and the balls 63. The clutch member will force the finger ring, rounding it up as it contacts with the tapered face 36 The collar is forced into the can body to the position shown in Fig- 9-,v after which: the head 31 is moved away from the can body and at a slightly greater speedthan the movement of the head 53 bearing'on the collar. Thus it is that the head 53 will move the can body and the inserted collar so as to strip the same from the. centering ring, and the can body Will'move along the guide rails 30 and be discharged fromthe. machine. The can body is strlppedfrom the ring when the turret has turned through an arc of approximately 180 and therefore said can body is. released from the turret when at the lower side of the turret and can by gravity be discharged from-the pocket. It is understood that the collar isso dimensioned that it has a 'very tight frictional engagement with they can body and it is positively forced into the can body to the desired extent, after which the can body is released so as to bring about. the stripping action justreferred to;

The gear 5 is freely mounted on the shaft 4 and there is a clutch for connecting this gear I to the'shaft. Attached to th'egear 5 is a hard- Attached to the shaft for member 65 carryinga hardened metal disk 5. The twodisks are provided with recesses which face each other and which are the same distance from the center of the shaft. Balls 55- areplaced in these recesses when they are in alignment and a spring G1 bearing against the clutch member 64 forces the metal disk carried thereby yieldingly against against the metal disk 64 is free to move endwise on. the shaft but, as noted, it rotates with the shaft and therefore when the balls are in the recesses, the clutch member is connected ened metal disk 63. rotation therewith is a cluch to. the gear 5 so that the rotating of the gear 5: will cause the shaft 4 to be rotated. If for any reason there is a jam in the machine which stopsthe rotation of the turret or the reciprocation of the heads-seating the collar in the can body, then the spring 6'5 will yield to allowwthe balls tomove out of one of the recesses and the shaft! can continue to rotate without the breaking of parts. When the clutch member 64 is forced to a position so that theballs are unseated', there is a locking finger 68 which moves down into the path of the yoke 69 and holds the clutch member separated. This yoke 65.! is pivoted at it and carries a hardened plate 1!. The finger E8 is-v pivoted at it to a hand lever 13 and. aspring "i l serves to turn the hand lever 73 in a clockwise direction and force the finger downwardly. Normally the finger rests on the yoke until the clutch member is forced to the left as viewed in Fig. 1a and then the spring into the path of movement of the yoke and thus positively hold the clutch member 64 in a position so that the main shaft 1 can turn without turning the jam has been released the operator can move the hand lever 13 so as to release the yoke and the balls will at once become seated in a recess and take up the drive of the turret carrying the collar seating units.

While there has been shown and described in detail a particular type of collar which is inserted in a can body that has not been flanged, it will be understood from certain aspects of the invention that the machine may be used for inserting collars of other forms in can bodies which have or have not been flanged.

therefor while the turret is moving,

the shaft 4. After It is obvious; also that minor changes in the details of; construction and the arrangement of the parts. may be made without departing fromthe spiritof the invention. as set forth in the appended claims. 1

Having thus described the; invention, what I claim as: new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1'. A machine for inserting a collar in a metal can body comprising a support for the can body, a support for the collar, a centering ring, said ring having means for rounding up and positioning' the can body to receive the collar, means for rounding up the collar, and means disposed between the rounding up means for the body and the collar for directing the collar into said can body, means for engaging said can body for forcingthe same info the centering ring and means engaging said collar for forcing the same through the ring. and into the can body.

2. A machine for inserting a collar in a metal can body comprising a support for the can body, a support for the collar, a centering ring, said ring having means for rounding up and positioning the can body to receive the collar means for rounding up the collar, and means disposed between the rounding up means for the body and the collar for directing the collar into said can body, means for engaging said can bodyfor forcing the same into the centering ring and means engaging said collar for forcing thesame through the ring andinto the can body, said means operating to move the can body being timed relative to the collar moving means so that said collar and can body after they are assembled are stripped from the centering ring and released from the machine.

3. A machine for inserting a collar into a metal can body comprising a support for the can body, a support for the collar, a centering ring hav-- ing a tapered face adapted to receive and round upthe end of the can body and a tapered face at the other side thereof adapted to receive and round up the collar, and a substantially horizontal face between said taperedfaces. of subst-antially the same diameter as the inner diameter ofthe can body for directing said collar into said can body,

4. A machine for inserting a collar in a metal can body comprising a rotating turret, a can body supporting-plate carried thereby, a collar support carried by said turret, a centering ring carried bythe; turret and located between the can body support and the collar support, means for placing can bodies and collars on the supports saidcenterfor rounding up, and positioning. said. can body to receive the collar and having means for directing the collar through the centering ring into the can body, means traveling with the turretfor engaging said can body for forcing the same into the centering ring and means traveling with the turret for engaging said collar for forcing the same through the ring and into the can body. V

5. A machine for inserting a collar in a metal can body comprising a rotating turret, a can body supporting plate carried thereby, a collar Eng ring having means support carried by said turret, a centering ring collar and having'means fordirec'ting the collar through the centering ring into the can body, means traveling with the turret for engaging said can body for forcing the same into the centering ring and means traveling 'withthe turret for engaging said collar for forcing the same through thering and into the can body, saidmeans operating to move the can body being timed relative to the collar movingmeans so that said collar and can body after they are assembled are strippedfrom the centering ring and released from the machine.

6. A machine for inserting a collar Ina metal can body comprising a rotating turret having a plurality'of collar inserting units, each of which includes a can body supporting means, a collar supporting means, a centering ring located between the can body supporting means and the collar supporting means, said centering ring having means for rounding up and. positioning the can body to receive the collar and having means for directing the collar through the centering ring into the can body, means carried by said turret and associated witheach centering ring for forcing said can body into the centering ring and means traveling with said turret and associated with said centering ring for forcing the collar through the ring and into the can body.

7. A machine for inserting a collar in a metal can body comprising a rotating turret having a plurality of collar inserting units, each of which includesa can bodysupporting means, a collar supporting means, a centering ring located between the can body supporting means and the collar supportingmeans, said centering ring having means for rounding up and positioning the can body to receive the collar and having means for directing the collar through the centering ring into the can. bodyfmeans carried by said turret and associatedwith each centering ring for forcing said can body into the centering ring and means traveling with said turret and associated with said centering ring for forcing the collar through the ring and into the can body, said means operating to move the can body being timed relative to the collar moving means so thatsaid collar and can body after they are assembled are stripped from the centering ring and released from the machine.

8. A machine for inserting a collar in a metal can body comprising a rotating turret having a plurality of collar inserting units, each of which includes a can body supporting 'means,-a collar 7 supporting means, a centering ring located between the can body, supporting means and the collar supporting means, said centering ring hav- 7 ing means for rounding up and positioning the can body to receive the collar and having means for directing the collar through the centering ring into the can body, means carried by said turret'and associated with each centering ring can body to receive the V for directing the collar'through' the centering for forcing said can body into the centering ring, means traveling .with said turret and associated with said centering" ring for forcing'the collar .7

through, the ring andinto the can body, means for rotating said turret,

bodies and collars in succession to theinserting units; while said turret is rotated.

9. A machine for inserting a collari in a metal can body comprising a rotating turret having a plurality of collar inserting units, each of which means for feeding can includes a can body supporting means, a collar supporting means, a centering ring located b'etween the can body supporting means and the collar supporting means, said centering ring having means for roundingup and positioning the can body to receive the collar and having'means for directing the collar'through the centering ring into the can 'body,'means. carried by said turret and associated with each centering rlng' for forcing said can body into thecentering ring,

means travelingwithsaid turret and associated with said centering ringfor forcingthef'c'ollar through the ring and into the can body, means for rotating said turret, means 'for feeding can bodies and collars succession to the inserting units while said turret is rotated," said means for rotating the turret including clutch mel'nbers yieldingly pressed into engagement and constructed so'that' in case of a jam said clutch members will separate and stop the rotation of turret and release the turret from the rotating means therefor.

10. A machine for inserting a collar in a metal can body comprising a rotatlng turret having'a plurality of collar inserting units, each of which includes a can body supporting means, a' collar supporting means, a centering ring located between the can body supporting means and the collar supporting means, said centering ring having means for rounding up and positioning the collar'and having means ring into'the can body, means carried by said turret and associated with each centering ring for forcing said can body into the centering ring, means traveling with said turret and associated with said centering ring for forcing the collar through the ring and into the can body, means 'for'rotating said turret, means'for feeding can bodies and collars in succession to the inserting units while said turret isrotated, said means for rotating the turret including clutch members yieldingly pressed into engagement and construct ed so that in case of a jam said clutch members will separate and stop the rotation of the turret and release the turret from the rotating means therefor, and an automatic means for holding said clutch members separated until said automatic means is manually released. 

